Clothespin or the like



I June 15, 1937. 1mm 2,083,642

GLOTHESPIN OR THE LIKE Filed NOV. 12, 1936 175% /fi iamamih A iiomeus Patented June 15, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN OR THE LIKE Application November 12, 1936, Serial No. 110,534

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to spring clasps or clamps, and particularly to a spring clothes pin, and an important object of my invention is to provide an efficient and rugged device of this character which is easily operated and is serviceable, and which can be constructed of one piece of wire if desired.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a clothes pin or the like of the character indicated which is constructed throughout of spring material, so as to afford the maximum of spring clamping action for its size and weight.

Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view.

Figure 3 is a perspective view.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrow.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 generally designates the embodiment and this may be constructed of a single length of wire which is bent beginning at one end, at

the point 6 and again at the point 1 to provide a closed loop that acts as confining member for the legs to be described, the bend at the point I being laterally inwardly and then outwardly and upwardly at an acute angle to provide the arm 8 which has a counterpart 9 joined by a night portion III. The lower end of the arm 9 is extended downwardly into a slightly bowed portion III and below this into a U-shaped leg or clamp member II composed of the legs I2 and I3. The upper part of the leg I3 is bowed as indicated by the numeral I4 like the part II] and above this has the straight part I5 which has a counterpart I6 joined by a bight H at the upper end thereof. As clearly shown in the drawing the upper part I5 of the leg I3 passes through and is enclosed by the retaining memi ber formed by the bends 6 and I. A second retaining member formed by bending the opposite end of the single length of wire is formed into a loop by the bends I8 and I9, which is oppositely disposed relative to, but corresponding in form and position to the loop made by the bends 6 and I, the bend I9 resulting in the straight arm 20 which has a counterpart 2| joined to the arm 5 20 by the straight bight 22. The lower end of the arm 2| is angularly bent at the point 23 and below this has a slight bow 24 opposite to the bow I4, and below the bow 24 merges into the straight leg 25 which has a counterpart 26.

The last has at its upper end a bow 21 and opposed to the bow II] in the leg I2, the bow 21 having its upper part passing through the retainer formed by the bends I8 and I9 joining the arm I6. The lower ends of the legs 25 and 2c are joined by a curved bight 28 corresponding to the curved b ight II. By this arrangement the legs I3 and 25 and I2 and 25 are opposed and held in spring-pressed engagement while the finger grips provided by the legs 9 and 8 and 20 and H and their respective bights I0, 22 outwardly spread away from each other and away from the center member which is provided by the arms I5 and I5 and the bight I! as clearly shown in Figure 3. By pressing the finger grips toward each other, the clamp members may be separated to engage the clothes or other objects. Upon releasing the finger grips the clamp members will strongly and securely clamp the clothes or the like. The length of the center member formed by legs I5, I6 and bight I1 is substantially equal in length to the length of the gripping members.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto,

and any change or changes may be made in the materials and in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:-

In a one piece clothespin structure, a pair of eye members, spaced apart laterally upon opposite sides of'the structure in the approximate center thereof, a pair of opposed U-shaped hand grips on one side of said center normally divergent and comprising a pair of side legs, respectively, and a pair of opposed U-shaped clamping jaws on the other side of said center adapted for relative separative movement by movement of said hand grips together and also comprising a pair of side legs, respectively, one leg of each hand grip extending from an eye member on one side of the structure and the other leg of each hand grip extending into the eye member on the opposite side of said structure and merging at an angle into one of the legs of one of the clamping jaws whereby said merging leg and the related jaw leg are fulcrumed in the related eye member, the other leg of each jaw having an extension projecting through the eye member on the related side of the structure to the hand grip end of the latter, said extension being connected at their extremities and reacting together with the legs of said jaws to oppose separative movement of the latter.

JOHN DI'I'I'O. 

